Federal judge considering biological opinion today in Fresno

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released a statement on continuing shortfalls in water allocations for farmers in the San Joaquin Valley.

Also today, Fresno District Court Judge Oliver Wanger held a hearing on the validity of the biological opinion on salmon that influences water allocations for California.

Following is Senator Feinstein’s statement:

“The disconnect in federal water allocations is the worst I’ve seen in years. South-of-Delta farmers are getting only 55 percent of contractual amounts, a shocking number when the state snowpack is as high as 165 percent. That is simply unacceptable.

“Here is the problem: when we do see torrential rainstorms, water allocations do not increase. That’s because we lack reservoirs and other infrastructure to store it. Until we learn to effectively harness what water we have, we’ll continue to suffer shortages statewide.”

###